Widespread adoption of Bt cotton and insecticide decrease promotes biocontrol services

@article{Lu2012WidespreadAO,
  title={Widespread adoption of Bt cotton and insecticide decrease promotes biocontrol services},
  author={Yanhui Lu and Kongming Wu and Yu-ying Jiang and Yu-yuan Guo and Nicolas Desneux},
  journal={Nature},
  year={2012},
  volume={487},
  pages={362-365}
}
Over the past 16 years, vast plantings of transgenic crops producing insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have helped to control several major insect pests and reduce the need for insecticide sprays. Because broad-spectrum insecticides kill arthropod natural enemies that provide biological control of pests, the decrease in use of insecticide sprays associated with Bt crops could enhance biocontrol services. However, this hypothesis has not been tested in terms of… 
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Hybridizing transgenic Bt cotton with non-Bt cotton counters resistance in pink bollworm
TLDR
A strategy for combating resistance by crossing transgenic Bt plants with conventional non-Bt plants and then sowing the second-generation seeds yields a random mixture within fields of three-quarters of plants that produce Bt toxin and one-quarter that does not, which implies that this strategy countered evolution of resistance.
Advances in Managing Pest Resistance to Bt Crops: Pyramids and Seed Mixtures
TLDR
It is suggested that an effective refuge percentage of at least 20 % is required to substantially delay pest resistance, even when pyramids, seed mixtures, or both are used.
Arthropods on Cotton: A Comparison Between Bt and Non- Bt Cotton
TLDR
The impact of Bt cotton on minor pests and non-intended species was of less importance, particularly when compared to insecticides, and much of the problems can be tackled by adopting integrated pest management (IPM) practices.
Effectiveness of the natural resistance management refuge for Bt-cotton is dominated by local abundance of soybean and maize
TLDR
It is shown refuge effectiveness is responsive to local abundances of maize and cotton and non-Bt soybean, and maize, in its role as a source of H. zea infesting cotton and other hosts, influences refuge effectiveness.
The impact of secondary pests on Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops.
TLDR
The main causes surrounding secondary pest dynamics in Bt crops and the impact of such outbreaks are reviewed and recommendations for future research are outlined that will help to improve the knowledge of the possible long-term ecological trophic interactions of employing this technology.
The outbreaks of nontarget mirid bugs promote arthropod pest suppression in Bt cotton agroecosystems
TLDR
Mirid bug feeding often causes tattered leaves on host plants, suggesting that interspecific competition with other leaf-feeding insects may occur, and mirid bugs have the potential to act as arthropod biocontrol agents during their outbreaks.
Successes and failures of transgenic bt crops: Global patterns of field-evolved resistance
TLDR
This work reviews data monitoring resistance to seven Bt proteins in 13 major pest species targeting Bt maize and Bt cotton on six continents and encourages collaboration between growers and scientists in industry, academia and government to implement large refuges of non-Bt host plants to maximize the benefi ts of Bt crops.
Maize fields are a potential sink for an outbreaking mirid bug pest in Chinese Bt-cotton agricultural landscapes
Crop dominance exerts specific effects on foliage‐dwelling arthropods in Bacillus thuringiensis cotton
TLDR
The findings of the present study may have significant implications for cotton pest management with respect to transgenic Bt cotton, highlighting the potential of conservation biological control via the combination of an appropriate crop genetic ratio and timely chemical control.
Regional pest suppression associated with widespread Bt maize adoption benefits vegetable growers
TLDR
It is demonstrated that vegetable growers benefit via decreased crop damage and insecticide applications in relation to pest suppression in the Mid-Atlantic United States, and the positive impacts identified here expand on the reported ecological effects of Bt adoption.
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References

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TLDR
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